Across-the-Board Convictions in Final Highs RICO Trial of 2025

MINNEAPOLIS – Following an eight-day jury trial, a federal jury convicted two defendants of all charged counts for their involvement in the Highs street gang, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

Defendants Cortez Davon Blakemore, 35, and Robert Lesure, 23, were convicted by a jury of federal RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Blakemore and Lesure were long-standing and prolific drug traffickers for the Highs criminal street gang.  They sold fentanyl at the intersection of Broadway and Lyndale in North Minneapolis, which the Highs had taken control of and turned into an open-air drug market. As the jury heard at trial, the Highs is a violent criminal street gang that has long wreaked havoc on North Minneapolis, selling fentanyl and other deadly drugs and enforcing its territory through violence, kidnapping, and murder, including the murders of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. Forty members of the Highs gang were charged in this large RICO indictment. Blakemore and Lesure are the 37^th and 38^th defendants to be convicted in this case. A final RICO defendant is set to be tried in 2026.

“These convictions bring justice not just to the victims of the Highs gang, but to an entire community that has endured years of violence, fear, and loss,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “For too long, this gang terrorized Minneapolis, maintaining control through chaos. Today, the people of this city get something they’ve long been denied: peace. This case is the result of a relentless federal coalition—the U.S. Attorney’s Office side-by-side with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.  Our message is clear: if you endanger our communities, we are coming for you.  And we won’t stop until every neighborhood in this city is free from fear.”

“This isn’t just another trial; it’s a continuation of our full-court press to dismantle the Highs street gang and hold every last member accountable,” said Travis Riddle, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the St. Paul Field Division. “We’re proud to stand alongside our prosecution and investigative partners who’ve shown unmatched determination, trial after trial, to bring justice to the communities harmed by this violence.”

“As the summer progresses, Minneapolis is continuing to see a drop in violent crime, especially gun violence throughout the city,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.  “The outstanding work of MPD officers and our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office have been instrumental in targeting the small number of individuals committing a disproportionate amount of violence in the city. This conviction is the latest result of efforts that can not only be seen in the reduction of crime, but also felt by the community as we work to rebuild trust.”

“Our focus isn’t just on the money—it’s on the damage that money fuels,” said Jason Bushey, IRS Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office. “When violent gangs push drugs and fear into our communities, our agents work relentlessly to expose the money behind the violence. This conviction is the result of that effort and a clear reminder that those who profit from chaos and pain will be held accountable.”

“In the wake of the guilty verdicts in the Highs gang RICO trial, it becomes abundantly clear that the efficacy of our justice system hinges not merely on the application of law, but on the transformative power of collaborative law enforcement partnerships,” stated FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “These alliances are essential, for they weave a fabric of shared intelligence and resources that fortify our collective resolve against violent crime, ensuring that justice is not merely an ideal, but a tangible reality for our communities.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigation, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also is deeply grateful to the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section (VCRS) for their continued partnership and expertise on this and other ongoing RICO cases. This partnership has been critical to the success of these gang prosecutions.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez, Albania Concepcion, and Carla Baumel tried this case.  They are prosecuting the case along with Attorney Brian Lynch of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section.